Lady Gaga Addresses the Iconic Meat Dress—Will There Be a Sequel?

Lady Gaga is revisiting one of the most jaw-dropping fashion moments of her career—the infamous meat dress. But would she ever rock raw beef as couture again? 

Would Gaga Go for Round Two?

During a lie detector test interview with Vanity Fair, the 38-year-old pop icon was confronted with a photo of the controversial meat dress she wore to the 2010 MTV VMAs. When asked if she’d ever don the look again, Gaga gave a firm, “I don’t think so, no.” But when the polygraph expert revealed her response was “inconclusive,” even she was taken aback. “Oh. Well, that was a surprise,” she admitted.

The meat dress, designed by Franc Fernandez and made of actual raw meat, remains one of the most talked-about fashion statements in history. Gaga even had a moment with music legend Cher that night, famously handing her a matching raw meat purse while accepting an award. When Vanity Fair asked if that bizarre moment brought her closer to Cher, Gaga responded, “I think so. In the moment.”

The Meaning Behind the Meat

The outrageous outfit caused a stir on the red carpet, with reactions ranging from awe to outrage. Gaga later clarified on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that the dress was never meant to offend vegetarians or vegans. Instead, it had “many interpretations,” one of which was that she didn’t want to be treated like “a piece of meat.”

Where Is the Dress Now?

Believe it or not, the meat dress still exists—sort of. In 2015, MTV reported that Gaga still owned the outfit, but it had been preserved like beef jerky and displayed as part of the Women Who Rock exhibition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Jun Francisco, the Director of Collections, the dress had to be transported in a climate-controlled truck to prevent it from deteriorating. The meat, which had hardened over time, was displayed alongside Gaga’s matching meat shoes.

The dress made its way to Las Vegas in 2019, becoming a part of the Haus of Gaga Museum exhibit.

A Vegan Stylist’s Nightmare

Not everyone was thrilled to work with raw meat. Fashion designer Brandon Maxwell, who helped style Gaga for the 2010 VMAs, revealed in a 2019 interview on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that he was a vegan at the time.

“I wore really long opera-length gloves and a mask and just kind of got through it,” Maxwell admitted.

Despite the controversy, Maxwell made it clear that the entire concept of the look was Gaga’s brainchild. “That was hers,” he said. “She’s in charge of her ship.”

So, while the world may never see Lady Gaga in another meat dress, its legacy remains one of the most unforgettable moments in pop culture history.